Senior Electrical & Automation Engineer

Position Summary

The plant electrical and automation (E&A) engineer is a key technical expert in our highly automated manufacturing facility. You will have a high degree of autonomy and be relied upon to provide informal leadership to contractors, production, maintenance, IT, Engineers, and project teams. As a system owner/expert for automation, OT (Operational Technology), process control, Factory Automation Systems (FAS), Digital Automation solutions/tools and electrical distribution, you will be influential in creating a strategic vision for the future. Drive, facilitate, and support the Digital Transformation efforts of manufacturing with solutions that are seamlessly integrated into the day-to-day operations with the goal of enhancing factory performance, collecting data and enriching the operator experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations Support:
  • Provide technical support and troubleshooting of existing electrical and automation systems (PLCs, VFDs, MCCs, sensors/instruments, valves/motors, HMI, VMs and thin clients, Digital Manufacturing Operations (DMO), FAS software, industrial Ethernet networks, control panels, circuit breakers, etc.)
  • Complete incident investigations for downtime and quality deviations to determine root cause and propose or implement corrective and preventive actions
  • Engage, support maintenance group through Nestle maintenance foundation principles, competency building, & NCE-TPM ways of working for round the clock operations
  • Share expertise and develop/provide training to build the competencies of team members
  • Responsible for site electrical safety program and compliance to regulatory and Nestle standards
• Maintenance Systems:
  • Lead maintenance team to maintain and support existing systems and structure
  • Ensure existing electrical and automation systems are properly maintained (NFPA 70B)
  • Develop and maintain maintenance contracts for key E&A components
  • Control and support the general operation for maximum reliability and uptime
  • Supply technical support for existing systems
  • Assist with troubleshooting and maintenance projects
  • Analyze the current E&A systems and install base to ensure continued maintainability and support; develop roadmap or masterplan where necessary
  • Coordinate regular system patching of FAS with IT and system users
  • Maintain compliance to corporate standards regarding hardware, software, and security
• Project Management:
  • Design, estimation, planning, and execution of electrical and automation projects for factory
  • Develop and implement project descriptions, plans, timelines, resources requirements, costs and other associated project details
  • Implement modification and improvements associated to PLC/HMI, controls and electrical
  • Interface with vendors, develop bid specifications, participate in design reviews, and factory acceptance testing
  • Oversee installations and verify compliance with NFPA, OSHA, FDA, NEC, and Nestle standards
  • Coordinate and manage engineering compliance gap closures through Nestle and contracted employees

Experience & Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field preferred; equivalent hands-on experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• 5+ years of experience in electrical, automation, or controls engineering within manufacturing (project, maintenance, and team exposure)

Technical Skills & Systems Knowledge

• Of digital manufacturing technologies (MES, IIoT, OT, predictive tools)
• Experience with PLCs (Allen-Bradley, B&R), HMIs, VFDs, and instrumentation required
• Proficiency with Rockwell software (Studio 5000, RSLogix, FactoryTalk, RSLinx, RSNetWorx)
• Familiarity with industrial networks (Ethernet/IP, DeviceNet)
• Engineering & Operations Experience with control systems, vision systems, and electrical design/maintenance (480VAC, 120VAC, 24VDC) strongly preferred
• Understanding of manufacturing equipment and facilities

Preferred Knowledge

• NEC, NFPA standards
• Experience with SCADA/Wonderware/Aveva and MES systems
• Exposure to Fanuc robotics and virtual environments (VMware/Hyper-V)